Page 61 of A Princess, Stolen
I snuck into the bathroom in my sweaty clothes, relieved myself, and brushed my teeth with the toothbrush Nathan had given me before dousing my face with several handfuls of water. I glanced in the mirror by chance. “Oh God!”
The young woman in it was a stranger to me. All the radiance that had always surrounded me seemed to have vanished. I looked like an ordinary young girl after a night of drinking. Pale and slightly unhealthy. Maybe like Penelope when she came out of Seven Stories.
What did Dad tell her about my disappearance?And what did Delilah know about it? How had Dad explained my disappearance to our staff and the party guests? Perhaps with the usual excuse:Willa wasn’t feeling well…yes,she’s very fragile…easily worn out, a breeze blows her over. Perhaps he said that I had left the party for health reasons and was now at a spa. However, how did he fool Penelope? She was persistent and would probably try to call me.
Sighing, I combed my hair with my fingers, then I redid my braids and wove the bracelet back in. I wondered if the girl in the mirror still met Dad’s standards of beauty and glory.
Had I ever pleased him?
What was he doing right now?
Was he sitting at home in his leather armchair, drinking his sinfully expensive tea, and following the oil prices on his mega-TV? Or was he anxiously waiting for a message from his special task force? Had he even commissioned one? What if he was simply waiting to see how serious the abductors were?
I shook my head, dismayed at myself. I had to stop doubting him all the time. Dad obviously had hired men to search for me. He was probably worried sick.
Then why doesn’t he comply with the demands?a tiny, angry voice inside me that I didn’t recognize whispered.Why is he playing with your life when you would have given yours for him voluntarily? You are his only daughter. He is attached to you—as much as a person can be attached to someone. Why doesn’t he help you?
For a few seconds, I had the horrible notion that he might be quite happy to get rid of me in this way. I was quite certain that he never remarried because of me. He had never said it, but he would never have put a stepmother before me. Had I stood in his way the whole time with my lack of independence?
Numb, I stood there, trying to stop the whirlwind thoughts. Then a new idea occurred to me: Perhaps Isaac was lying to unsettle the men on board. Why hadn’t I thought of that before? Perhaps Dad had fulfilled all of his demands and Isaac’s claim was merely an excuse so that Nathan would allow him to board earlier. In order to kill me personally, not to take control of the situation. Or was he trying to extort money from Dad after all?
For a moment, I put my hands on my cheeks and stared at my pale face in the mirror. I had to escape, no matter what Sparta’s plan was. Even the worst plan was better than waiting for Isaac. Sparta was my only chance of getting out of here even if I felt like I had barely survived a fistfight last night.
A short time later, I stuck a dull paring knife in the leg of my boot; I hadn’t found a sharp one—I could guess why.
Exiting the tiny galley, I ran into Nathan. He looked different without a headband on. His hair was tied back in a ponytail with a few too-short strands tucked behind his ears. It made him look younger and his narrow eyes seemed larger and less sinister.
When he saw me, he abruptly stopped and I felt caught. I hoped I had pushed the knife deep enough into the opening.
“How are you?” He examined me and I felt myself blushing.
“You mean in regards to last night?”
He pulled down one corner of his mouth. “No, I mean about everything, although, I don’t approve of you getting drunk with the crew like a hardened sailor. It might give them stupid ideas.”
“It was involuntary,” I protested.
He didn’t respond. “A pretty girl, so far out at sea. Many of them don’t have a woman waiting for them. Don’t push it.”
A taunt, considering he was the only one who had kissed me. “You don’t trust them?”
“I trust myself, that’s enough.”
“Nobody else?”
“Almost nobody.”
“Sounds lonely.”
“Loneliness doesn’t have to be bad. I’m a realist. I can’t afford anything else, princess. No dreams, no trust, no feelings. That’s the best way to live.”
I thought about my close relationship with Dad, no matter what was going on. “Sounds even lonelier.” We remained silent for a moment, but neither of us made a move to continue onward. At some point, I gathered up my courage. “Could Isaac have lied about the demands?”
Surprised, Nathan glanced at me. “Why would he?”
“I…I have no idea. To provoke the men? Or maybe so you’d let him come on board to discuss the new situation?”
Nathan shook his head firmly. “I know it’s true.”
